A LABRADOR SPRING 



body. Selous, 1 however, says of the English 

 moorhen, another rail, that he " may follow no 

 fixed plan in his diving, for I have certainly 

 seen him using his feet only under water, and 

 I believe I have also seen him using his wings." 



Very young spotted sandpipers, the familiar 

 teter-tail of beaches fresh and salt, sometimes 

 dive when hard pressed, and in so doing use 

 both wings and feet. The water ousel uses both 

 wings and feet under water. 



It would seem, therefore, that with a few 

 exceptions diving birds tend to specialize in 

 two directions, either towards the use of 

 the feet alone, or of the wings alone. The 

 question naturally arises as to which line is 

 superior, which has produced the swiftest 

 diving bird, the line that has led to the 

 use of the feet alone or that which has led to 

 the use of the wings alone? It is evident that 

 a method of diving which leaves the wings 

 unimpaired in size or form for the use in the 

 air is a desirable one, and that this is possible 

 where the feet alone are used. In most fishes 

 propulsion is from the rear by means of the 

 tail, for the pectoral fins, which correspond to 



1 Bird Watching. London, 1901, p. 156. 

 196 



